Day Care Head Charged in Connection to Child Rape Case Held on $25K

The head of a Massachusetts college day care center, where a worker is charged with raping two children, was arraigned on child endangerment charges after her arrest and is being held on $25,000 bail.

Kyle Loughlin, a 21-year-old student of Bridgewater State University who worked at the school's Children's Center, is accused of raping two young boys at the facility.

Fifty-three-year-old Judith Ritacco of Boylston appeared in court Thursday morning to plead not guilty after her arrest on Wednesday.

Judy Ritacco
necn
Judy Ritacco's bail was set at $25,000 Thursday.

University police confirm the Children Center's former director, Ritacco, was arrested Wednesday afternoon. She is charged with reckless child endangerment, witness intimidation, misleading investigators and failing to file a 51A form.

Ritacco told police that she learned of complaints regarding Loughlin weeks before reporting the case to authorities. A teacher told police Ritacco "was on the fence" about reporting the incidents.

Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz confirmed that Ritacco turned herself in to university police after learning a warrant was issued for her arrest.

The former director's computers were seized last Friday.

"This is a classic page from an old, tattered playbook of finding someone to put the blame on," Ritacco's defense attorney, Thomas Guiney, said.

Prosecutors say Ritacco was told by other adults at the university's Children's Center that they were worried about Loughlin behaving inappropriately around kids, but the director allegedly scuttled those concerns.

People in her position have to report suspected abuse by law.

"Another teacher reported on March 24 several concerns to the director, and the director specifically told that teacher she was not to contact DCF," Deputy Plymouth County District Attorney Amanda Fowle said.

Ritacco's defense said she sent the complaints up the food chain at Bridgewater State, claiming her supervisors warned her to hold off. Guiney told the judge that the university's administrators didn't want to be sued by Loughlin, who may have argued he needed to touch children because of his blindness.

"Rubbing the back of his leg could be a sensory thing," Guiney argued.

Judge Ronald Moynihan ordered Ritacco to have no contact with all children or potential witnesses in the case. Her next court appearance is May 8.

Contact Us